This invention relates to railroad car brakes and more particularly to the arrangement of brake regulator components along the interior length of a center sill in a twin pod gondola or hopper type car.
It has long been recognized that brake systems for these types of cars, which includes the brake regulator components, is subjected to various adverse environmental conditions. The location of the brake regulator components along the underside of a car exposes the brake parts to an assortment of track debris which can clog and/or damage the brake system as the car travels along railroad trackwork. In addition, during winter conditions, bulk freight such as sand, gravel, coal, ore and the like, can become frozen within the car. In such cases, freight thawing apparatus, such as high intensity burners, are placed under the cars to thaw the frozen bulk freight. These high heat sources not only thaw the freight within the car, but also damage the brake components which are exposed along the underside length of the car.
Heretofore there have been numerous attempts to solve the brake system problems set fourth above. One such attempt is shown in a set of three continuing United States patents granted to Roselius, et al. In his first patent, U.S. Pat. No. 3,372,779, Roselius recognizes that when brake components are placed on the underside of a railroad car they are subjected to possible heat damage during thawing operations. In an attempt to eliminate such heat damage to the brake parts, Roselius positions his brake regulator (72) near one end of the car at a location above the center sill (14). In his subsequent patents, U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,378,112 and 3,543,889, Roselius further discloses a brake arrangement which positions both the brake regulator, as well its related connecting or tie rods, above the center sill of the car. This brake regulator arrangement extends along the length of the car and includes protective hood sheets (19) and (29) within the hopper portions of the car.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,533,492, to Campbell, shows a different brake system design for overcoming the above-stated damage problems which can occur to the brake system on a railroad car. Campbell simply installs a separate, and complete brake system at each end of his railroad car, and thereby eliminates the need to place his brake components in areas which are heated with freight thawing apparatus.
In U.S. Pat. No. 4,280,596, directed to a brake arrangement for a center sill-less hopper car, Miller discloses a brake arrangement similar to the brake system shown in the Roselius patents. Miller's brake components extend along the length of the railroad car and through the hopper portions of the gondola car at an elevation which is comparable to the location shown by Roselius. However, Miller does not show a using a protective hood sheet with his brake components as disclosed in the Roselius patents.
Each of the above patents shows improvements which reduces damage to the a brake system from either track debris or thawing apparatus. However, each of the above patented brake systems have inherent disadvantages which can be improved upon. First, Campbell's brake system employs a separate, and complete brake system at each end his gondola car. This brake system is expensive to both install and maintain. Second, Miller's brake system effectively removes the brake components from areas of the gondola car where heat and track debris can cause damage to the brake system. However, Miller introduces a new source for brake system damage in the areas where his unprotected brake components extend through the hopper portions of the car. Such unprotected portions of tie rods, extending through the hopper portion of the car, are damaged by the weight of the bulk freight being transported within the car. And finally, Roselius discloses protecting his tie rods by installing hood sheets over the tie rod portions extending through the hopper section of his car. Under normal conditions, such hood sheets prevent the bulk freight from damaging the tie rods. However, at times, freight handlers find it necessary to unload gondola cars using clam shell buckets. When such unloading operations take place, the clam shell buckets damage the protective hood sheets causing certain failure of the railroad car brake system.